Existence
by beautifulpreservation
Summary: Before she met Barry, Elizabeth was on the outside looking in when it came to the world of meta-humans. Once she fell in love Barry Allen, aka The Flash, that all changed and she was pulled into his world. Now, she's in even deeper than she thought she'd eve be after finding out who she truly is. Sequel to "I Trust You"/AU
1. Return

When I appear back in S.T.A.R. Labs, my aim was a little off and I appear in the hallway outside the Cortex. Hopefully the aim on my timing had been better, I think to myself, as I walk down the hallway and stand in the entrance to the Cortex. The backs of Cisco, Caitlin, Iris, and Joe's heads greet me; none of them had heard me walk up though, despite the heels I was wearing. As I'm getting ready to say something, I hear the unmistakable sound of sobbing…of Barry sobbing. _He must have thought I died…he thinks I'm dead._ That would be the logical thought. Taking a step forward, the now-familiar tingling washes over me as I step through the unseen trans-dimensional energy and step out in front of Barry, who was kneeling down on the ground, crying in front of a pile of ash. They had told me the pile would be there. So as the group behind Barry start gasping at seeing me, I reach down, place a hand over the pile of ash and send it to the Existence. Once it's gone, Barry finally looks up, his eyes rimmed bright red from tears and wide tear tracks under his eyes. "E-Elizabeth?"

I smile at him as I stand up. "Hey Barry…"

Barry stands up, taking a step backwards. The shock and confusion are heavy on his face, looking from where the pile of ash had been to where I stood now. "What…what hap- you look- we saw-" He points from where the pile had been to where I was standing now.

"I know," I say, one of my hands coming up and scratching the back of my neck. "I have a lot of explaining to do."

"Are you-" Cisco raises a hand, pointing at me. "Are you an angel?"

I can't help but let out a small laugh. "I'm sure I resemble one…don't I?" I briefly look down at myself. My outfit was slightly over the top: a light blue, almost white, dress with a bateau neckline that was cinched in at the waist before flaring out into a ballgown skirt; on the back of the dress, layers of organza flowed down, creating a cape-type draping; the main draw though was the tiara sitting on top of my head: a creation of diamonds and rubies lining the whole thing with one large ruby in the center of it. I had tried in vain to take it off before I left the Existence…but it was deemed dishonorable to do so. The grand send-off they had given me called for formal wear.

"What-" Iris tries to speak up this time. One of her hands come up, pointing at me briefly before falling to her side again. She wore the same confused look everyone was wearing. "What happened to you? Just a few seconds ago we watched you…blow up or something…and now you're standing in front of us looking like Kate Middleton? I don't-"

She stops when Barry suddenly walks up to me, standing an inch away from me. A pained look shoots across his face for a brief moment. Slowly, one of his hands come up and lightly touches my cheek, as if to see if I was really there. "I'm here, Barry," I whisper. I bring my own hand up, lightly touching the back of his. "I'm back…I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay, I really need an explanation of what is going on…" Joe says. Barry takes a step back, shaking his head as if to dispel some thought. We both walk over to the rest of the group, Barry moving to stand behind the console with them as I stand on the other side still.

"Yes, you do…you all do. I have to warn you…it's a long story…" I let out a sigh and begin my story. "It would probably be easiest to begin with the biggest discovery…I am not from here, from Earth…I'm from a place called the Existence-"

"What, so are you saying you're not from Earth?" Cisco says. "Like your-"

"Not an alien," I cut him off. I could see the excitement growing in his eyes the moment I said _not from Earth._ "I thought that too…it is much more complicated than that. And please…try not to interrupt. I will explain everything in due course." Everyone nods their heads, telling me they won't interrupt. "Anyway, as Cisco said, I'm not from Earth. Yet, the Existence is not another planet. It's a little hard to explain…think of a pie, okay? The pie is the multiverse, the slices of the pie represent a different universe. The Existence is at the center of that pie, it is the pie tin holding the pie together. It's not actually part of the pie…but yet the pie doesn't exist without it…follow me?" Everyone nods their heads weakly…kind of understanding. "That is where I'm from…the Existence. I was taken from it when I was a baby and dropped here, on this Earth."

"So that's why there was never any birth record for you at any hospital?" Iris says. I briefly recall Iris digging into my past, trying to uncover some clue as to why Barry's timeline changes were affecting me.

"Exactly," I nod my head. "Because I wasn't born here-"

"But I've ran a hundred different tests on you and they've all always came back as normal," Caitlin says. Her hand waves towards the med-bay where I had undergone said tests. "As human…"

"I know," I nod my head. "That is because—okay, you know the people from Earth-2 vibrate at a different frequency than us? The Existence is kind of the same. Since it exists out of…well, existence…we don't technically exist. I know…it's confusing-"

"It's not possible," Cisco says. "If you technically don't exist…how are you standing here? How have you lived here your whole life?"

"All questions I asked as well," I tell him. I let out a sigh, trying to figure out the best way to explain it. "When someone from the Existence goes to a universe, whatever planet they go to, their bodies assimilate to the beings around them. So, when I came to Earth, my body mimics that of a human. If I were to go to Mars, my DNA would match a Martian and so on and so forth…"

"So what was the whole red light and pile of dust all about?" Joe asks. He still had a bewildered look on his versus the more understanding looks everyone was starting to give me now.

"That, yes," I say. "Even though our bodies assimilate to that of the beings around us, we aren't made to stay like that for long periods of time. We have to go back to the Existence basically to recharge. The timelines changing put a lot of stress on my body but basically my body and mind were warring with each other. My body had been human for so long, it couldn't register my mind telling it that I needed to go back to the Existence to recharge. So, this last time, after Barry tried to fix Flashpoint, it was like a tipping point and I just… _poof_. It was my body's way of forcing me to go back to the Existence."

"So when you… _poofed…_ did you go to this…Existence, or…?" Barry asks.

"No," I shake my head. "I accidently transported to another Earth, since you know, I had never transported to a different Earth before. I actually ended up on Kara Zor-El's Earth."

Barry's eyes widen a fraction. "You met Kara?"

"Yeah," I nod my head. "I did. She was the one who actually recognized that I was from the Existence…"

* * *

" _Okay, explain that again…only slower," I say, shaking my head, trying to wrap my mind around what Kara had just said._

" _You are from a place called the Existence," she says. "They are basically like police for all the universes. They only ever appear when there is a major, huge threat to more than one universe."_

" _And how do you know that I'm from this…Existence place?" I raise an eyebrow at her._

" _When you've been to the Existence but aren't from there, like I did when I was a young girl, you can just tell who is from the Existence and who isn't." Kara says. "You all have this…aura about you. Plus, everyone I've ever met from the Existence always smells faintly of vanilla and…" she leans forwards, take a big whiff of me. "Yep, you smell like vanilla. And I bet you don't even use vanilla body wash…"_

* * *

"I told you I thought she always smelled like homemade cookies," Cisco says to Caitlin. Caitlin rolls her eyes, silently telling Cisco that now was not the time to have that debate.

"Yeah, but it turned out to be true," I say with a small chuckle. "The whole of the Existence smells like one giant sugar cookie; it's the strangest thing…"

"So you went to another Earth…and the Existence?" Iris says. "But you were gone for literally ten seconds? Did you time travel?"

"A little bit," I hold my forefinger and thumb up, indicating a small amount. "That is one thing I cannot do is time travel. Time on the Existence doesn't really…exist. Technically, I was on the Existence for a year. Though, I was on Kara's Earth for a few hours. When I came back here, the elders of the Existence wielded a little power to help me come back here to as close as possible to when I left."

"You were there for a year?" Barry says. "What did you do there for a year?"

A large smile starts to grow on my face. "Well…"

* * *

" _It was a little difficult but we were able to make contact with someone from the Existence," Winn says as him and Alex come back into the med-bay area._

" _They are sending a representative as quickly as possible," Alex says, looking at me and then at Kara._

" _Yeah…when we told them we had you they like…freaked out…" Winn says. A mischievous grin comes to his face, most likely thinking of the possibilities of the impending visitors reactions to hearing about me. "You must be someone uber important to them."_

" _I don't know how I could be," I say with a shrug. "I didn't even know the place existed until an hour ago."_

 _Before anyone can say anything else a group of people appear outside the med-bay doors, literally appear out of thin air. Two of them looked like soldiers or guards and the other two, a man and a woman, were dressed in fine clothing and wearing what looked like delicate circlet crowns. They were both tall and lean with thick dark hair much like mine. "We are the First Family from the Existence." The man says. His voice, deep and resonating, sends a shiver down my spine; strangely enough though…it was familiar. "We've come to see the girl that was found here that you claim is from the Existence."_

 _Alex steps up in front of them. "I'm Alex Danvers," she says. "I'm the one who called you."_

" _Thank you for your call, Alex Danvers," the woman says. Her voice was delicate and also seemed familiar. I slide off the hospital bed, my feet seeming to move of their own accord. "As we stated, we would very much like to see the girl…"_

 _Alex stares at them for a moment before dropping her hands to her sides. Kara pats me on the shoulder, giving me reassurance she was right next to me. Alex steps to the side, motioning with her hand towards me. When the man and woman see me, they let out an audible gasp. I jump slightly at the sound of it. "Hi," I say timidly as they walk towards me. When they stop in front of me, I can see both of them are holding back tears. "I'm Elizabeth…apparently, I'm from wherever you are from?"_

 _The woman presses her lips into a hard line before she reaches up, lightly touching the side of my face. "Not just that, my sweet, sweet girl…" Some deep emotion was stirring in me from her touch. Like something I had been searching for my whole life had just appeared in front of me in the shape of these two strangers. At the woman's next words, that feeling is solidified and it's like the last piece of me clicks into place. "You're our daughter…"_

* * *

Everyone stares at me, stunned looks on their faces once again. Barry is the first to speak up. "So you found…"

"My parents," I say, a wide smile growing on my face. "My family…I found my family. And of course, there, my name isn't Elizabeth…"

"What is it?" Caitlin asks.

"My name is Oclene," I tell them. "Oclene, First Daughter of the Existence, Keeper of the Armies, Watcher of Earths."

"Woah, woah, woah," Cisco says, waving his hands in front of himself. "Did you just say 'keeper of armies'? And 'watcher of Earths'? So you're like-"

"My family, in the Existence, is what is known as the First Family," I say, nodding my head. "They rule over the Existence-"

"So your family is rulers of the multi-verse?" Cisco says. He looked a little too happy about the idea.

"Yeah, basically…I guess…" I say. I hadn't really thought of it that way. "Anyway, my mother and father, they are the ones who came and brought me from Kara's Earth to the Existence; Ruraura and Fadur. They hadn't seen me since I was eight months old so when they heard a girl who thought she was human but was really from the Existence was found on Earth…they came running."

"So, I still don't get why you stayed there for a year…in their time anyway," Iris says.

I nod my head once. "Yes…that…"

* * *

 _The Existence was…describing its beauty was impossible. Ruraura and Fadur kept having to nudge me along to keep up with them as we walked down the street. Up ahead, a huge castle rose into the sky, seeming to disappear into the clouds. "Woah," I say, looking at it. "Is that your-"_

" _And yours," Ruraura answers. "That is where the First Family resides."_

" _Oh," I say, starting to look around at the surroundings again. I felt very out of place. I was still wearing the scrubs Caitlin had changed me into in the med-bay at S.T.A.R. Labs from…however long ago that was. People were starting to appear in streets, whispering and pointing at me. Soon, the whispering and pointing turned into cheers, shouts of joy. By the time we reached the castle, it was like an impromptu parade._

 _Before we go inside, Fadur stops our group, turning back to face the crowd that had gathered. "Dear Citizens of the Existence!" His booming voice rings out, seeming to reach as far as the eye could see. "Today is a joyous day! The stolen First Daughter has finally returned home!"_

 _More cheers erupt from the crowd as I feel Ruraura wrap an arm around my shoulders. "Please," she calls out, silencing the crowd once again. "Allow our family a couple days privacy, to get to know the First Daughter once again. Rest assured, celebrations and feasts will follow for weeks to come." My head turns sharply to look at her. Weeks? What did she mean weeks? The three of us, plus the two guards turn once again and walk in through the massive doors behind us. Once they shut, the sound of cheering once again rings out. Inside, a whole line of people are waiting inside the main foray…lined up to see me. "Oclene…" Ruraura says gently. "There is someone that would like to meet you…" I nod my head, standing between her and Fadur as one of the people from the line walk towards us. Ruraura holds a hand out towards the first person, a man who looked about my age. I tried to hold back a gasp when I look at him…he looked like me. He was a few inches taller than me, his build resembling Fadur and Ruraura…but he could have been my twin. "This is your brother, Oion."_

" _It is a pleasure to finally see you, sister," Oion holds out a hand to me. I timidly place mine in his before he kneels down in a bow, pressing the back of my hand to his forehead. When he stands back up, he releases my hand and takes in my confounded stare. "I'm sorry…" he looks to Ruraura and Fadur and then back to me, also looking confused. "Was that…should I have not done-"_

" _It's quite alright, Oion," Ruraura says, smiling kindly at her son. "Earth has different customs than here. In time, we shall each acclimate to each other's habits."_

" _Yeah, it's okay," I say, looking around the large foyer. It was grander and more elaborately decorated than any castle I had ever visited on Earth; it put Buckingham Palace to shame even though it was decorated in a more futuristic style. "This is just…a lot to take in…"_

 _Fadur places a hand in between my shoulder blades, patting me gently. "As Ruraura said…in time, we shall grow to learn more about each other."_

" _About that…" I step away from them, moving to stand in front of them. Oion takes my spot and each of them stare at me expectantly. "Earlier you said in the coming 'weeks' there would be celebrations about me returning…exactly how long am I staying here?"_

" _Well, we thought you would stay here indefinitely…" Ruraura says, looking from me to Fadur. When she looks back at me, she looks less certain. "You are after all the heir. And the heir must remain in residence in the Existence-"_

" _Woah, what?" I say, balking at them. "I'm the what? I can't be anything…I have friends, family really. I have Caitlin and Cisco and Barry…I can't just abandon them!"_

" _This is our tradition," Fadur says, taking a step closer to me. One of his hands come up to rest on my shoulder. "The eldest child of the First Family becomes Regnant of the Existence. And the Regnant must remain in residence in the Existence…"_

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** Hello! Welcome to the sequel in this crazy story! So, this one is going to be more AU. Meaning, it may or may not follow the story line of season 3. I will more than likely pull elements from it, but I feel like with the addition of this new world and upcoming revelations about Elizabeth an AU would work better. So please, follow! Like! Subscribe! Review! Love you all!


	2. Powers

A heavy silence had fallen over the group after my admission. I wait for one of them to speak up.

"So you..." Barry stares at me, not sure what to say. His brows were furrowed together like they did when he wasn't sure where to begin. "You are..."

"You are going to be like…the queen of the multiverse?" Cisco finishes for him. It wasn't exactly what I had expected them to say. I had really thought they'd be concerned with me leaving.

I start to say something about their priorities but then stop, shaking my head. "No, I'm not," I tell them with a sigh. "I gave up the position to my younger brother."

"Wha- why would you do that?" Caitlin says. "It's your destiny...your-"

"Birthright?" I offer. "Yeah, I know that but...I've been gone from there to what roughly equates to five hundred years. My younger brother, Oion...he has been raised to rule. Not me."

"So... you're staying here? On Earth?" Joe says. Finally, someone was concerned about whether or not I was staying or not. "You're not moving to...the Existence?"

I shake my head. "I will have to go there, periodically to recharge, maybe once a year or so. But...this is my home." I reach up and turn the red stone on my necklace. The necklace had been given to me on the Existence and was vital to my well-being; it also controlled my powers. As I drop the stone after turning it, my outfit changes from the gown and tiara to something I'd usually wear: a pair of grey pixie pants, light blue top, and a navy cardigan. Everyone's looks switch back to looks of shock when they see the transformation. "My birth family may be in the Existence...but you all, here, you all are my family too. More so than they ever could be."

Caitlin is the first to break a smile and step forward to hug me. The hug is tight as she quietly tells me that she's glad I'm back. Once she releases me, Cisco, Iris, and Joe all take their turns; I do take notice of Barry hanging back. "Okay, so, how did you get from there to here?" He says. "There wasn't a breach or anything..."

"I still don't understand the science of it but, people from the Existence are able to walk through universes as easily as walking through a house." I say. I can practically see Cisco refraining from rolling his eyes at my explanation. I knew that at a later date he was going to press me for further explanation. "We don't require breaches or have to manipulate trans-dimensional energy to do so...we just...go..."

"That is so cool," Cisco says, highly impressed despite the rough explanation.

"I know, right?" I had to admit...I found it pretty cool myself. "This necklace, here…" I point at the necklace with a stone that resembled a ruby, but wasn't one. "This not only keeps me balanced, keeps me from going _poof_ again, but it also controls my powers—"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Cisco takes a dramatic step back, as if to size me up. "So not only can you walk through space like a department store…but you're telling us you also have powers?"

I nod my head. "I didn't learn all of them. There's quite a bit that I'm able to do apparently, but I don't have need for most of them here on Earth."

Everyone stares at me, Cisco expectantly. "For instance…?"

"Like…um, okay, obviously you just saw the whole clothes changing thing." I wrack my brain, trying to remember all the abilities Fadur had told me about. There were quite a few of them, some of them I was the only person in the Existence that was able to do them because of my position in the First Family. "I also have some defensive powers…that comes with the whole 'Defender of Earths' thing…"

"Next question," Cisco says, holding his hand up. I nod my head, telling him to continue. "Do we have to call you Oclene, First Daughter of blah, blah, blah, now?"

"No, please don't. Just keep calling me Elizabeth." I say with a laugh. "Look, guys, I am still the same Elizabeth that I was before all of this. I'm just…" I tilt my head side to side, trying to find the words. When I look at Barry, I find them. "It's like what Barry said when he was trying to get his speed back: I'm the best version of myself."

"Well, I am glad you're back Elizabeth," Joe says, stepping forward again to give me another hug. "That was a…worrisome ten seconds you were gone. I got to get back to the station though."

"Stop by Jitters first?" Iris says to him. He smiles at her and nods his head. Iris also gives me another quick hug before the two of them walk out of the Cortex together. Looks like they were talking again.

Cisco and Caitlin also leave, going to work on Cisco's gauntlets. That just left me and Barry in the room; the awkwardness was almost immediate. "I'm, um, I'm glad you're okay," Barry says, looking down at his feet. "And I'm glad you're not staying there…"

I let out a sigh. "Barry, we need to talk." I say. "Do you think we go somewhere private to-" Before I can even finish the question, Barry is running me through Central City. As we run, my arms instinctively make their way around his neck. Even though it had been a shock, him taking off, I smile to myself as I bury my face in his shoulder to shield my face from the wind. When we stop, we're standing along the water's edge on the other side of town. "Not exactly what I meant but…this will do…"

"Elizabeth, I am so sorry," Barry says before I can say anything. "I never imagined that if I went back that this," He points between me and him. "Would turn out like this. Whatever me in this timeline was thinking…he was wrong. In the past, leaving you never even crossed my mind, I-"

I hold up a hand to stop him. "I know, Barry, I know." I let out a sigh, running a hand through my hair. "But Barry…that heartbreak is still _very_ real for me. I am going to need time…"

Barry nods his head. "So you're saying…"

I take a step closer to Barry and grab one of his hands in mine. It felt nice to be holding his hand again. "I am saying that we need to take it slow. My life has literally been flipped on its head these past few days." I take another step closer to him, my body acting of its own accord. "Maybe dinner? Tomorrow?"

It takes a second, but a smile breaks across Barry's face. "Yeah, I would like that."

* * *

"Not that I'm complaining about it but you seem…happier than usual." One of the assistant curators, Carleigh, says. I look up from my tablet to see her looking at me with a raised eyebrow. We were deep in the archives, doing inventory once again to make sure no meta's had stolen anymore artifacts. "You were just humming West Side Story…"

"That may be because I have a date tonight," I say. Climbing down the ladder, Carleigh raises both of her eyebrows at me. During my break-up with Barry, she had been amazing in picking up the slack I was creating at work. It wasn't much, but I still noticed and appreciated her work.

"Oh?" she goads, hoping for more information.

"Yes, and…" I look at my watch, noting the time. "It is time for us to go."

Carleigh and the rest of the staff leave before me. When I walk out of the rear employee entrance, Barry is waiting for me. I let out a chuckle when I see the heart shaped bouquet. Barry and I had set the date for three days after my return from the Existence. The past three days had seemed to drag on as I wanted in anticipation for the date, but I needed time to settle back into my routine. "Are the flowers too much? Yeah, the heart is too much…" Before I can say anything, he speed-rearranges the flowers to spell out my name. I cover my mouth with my hand to keep from laughing. "Oh—oh, this is worse. I can-"

"No, Barry, stop," I say, holding my hands up to stop him. "This is…it's beautiful, thank you." I step forward, looking him up and down as I do. He was dressed up, in a casual suit, much like he had been for our first-first date. He looked just as handsome now as he did then. I subconsciously reach up and straighten his tie, askew from running around. "How about tonight…no Flash, no Existence talk…just Barry and Elizabeth…"

"Barry and Elizabeth," Barry says, tilting his head to the side. I nod my head. "Alright…just Barry and Elizabeth tonight."

I smile at him for a moment before my eyes wander back to the flowers. "Actually, before we do that—" I hold a hand up, my palm towards the flowers. With a little twist of my fingers, I sent the arrangement to my apartment. Barry looks at me with raised eyebrows. I shrug a shoulder, "Well, we couldn't just leave them sitting here."

He shakes his head as he holds out an arm for me and I wrap one of mine through it before we start down the sidewalk…at a normal speed.

* * *

"Do you know what you're getting?" I ask Barry, still looking at my menu. Neither of us had been to this restaurant before; normally we frequently local mom and pop type diners or Big Belly Burger. It seemed Barry was trying to go all-out though. I scan the menu again, my eye subconsciously landing on one of the prices. "Are you planning on donating a kidney…or…?"

"Wh-what?" Barry says, looking up at me from his menu.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Barry, these prices are-"

"No, no, don't look at the prices." He places a hand on the corner of the menu, lightly brushing my hand. "Just get whatever you want." I smile at him, my heart fluttering. He looked so happy, at ease, yet also nervous. I turn my hand to grab onto his. Holding it for just a moment, we stare at each other. The butterflies I had felt at the beginning of our relationship were still there. Finally we release hands and return to looking at the menu.

"So…" I wasn't sure what to say to him. There was so much that could or needed to be said, but with being in public and our "no meta-human or Existence talk" that made the scope of conversation limited.

"Yeah, so…" Barry was most likely picking up on the same vibe that I was feeling.

"Oh, um, we're setting up a new exhibit at the museum," I say. Work was always a safe topic. It was the only aspect of my life that didn't deal with the other crazy forces in my life.

"Oh yeah?" Barry says, leaning forward slightly towards me. "What's it about?"

"World War II veterans from Central City," I tell him. "We're going to have this cool interaction feature where you can watch an interview with one of the vets." Barry nods his head as he takes a drink of water. "How about you? How's work going?"

"Uh, well," Barry says, shrugging his shoulder. "Julian had me write a carbon dating report and a DNA sequencing report, a couple chemical compound reports, so yeah he pretty much just gives me all the work he doesn't want to do…yeah I know, your eyes are doing that thing where they glaze over-"

"What? No?" I shake my head lightly. My eyes were starting to glaze over though, I was really trying my hardest to look interested. "I just…I'm sorry…"

"It's alright," Barry says, looking down. A second later an alarm starts blaring outside. Both Barry and I look at each other. "Excuse me?" he stops the waiter walking past. "What's going on?"

"Apparently there is a robbery across the street," he answers before walking away.

Barry looks back at me. I could tell he wanted to go help, but wasn't going to because of the no-Flash-rule I had imposed. "Oh, no, Barry, go. I'm not going to stop you from-" He doesn't even wait for me to finish before running off. In a second, he's back. "Doing your job…"

"I'm sorry," he gives me an apologetic look.

"No, don't apologize," I say, waving a hand at him. "You-" I'm cut off though by both of our phones going off simultaneously. When I look at it, while Barry looks at his, I see it's a mass message sent from Cisco. "We better go…"

"Yeah," Barry says. He gets a couple of bills out of his wallet and drops them on the table. As we start towards the door, Barry's arm starts to go around my waist as he always did when we were getting ready to run. I stop him though, grabbing the hand instead. He gives me a confused stare as I just smile coyly at him. When we reach the front door to the restaurant, I lightly touch it before opening it. Barry's mouth slightly goes agape as we walk through the restaurant door but step into breach room at S.T.A.R. Labs. "What's going on?" Barry asks as he lets go of my hand. He quickly throws a smile at me, silently telling me how cool he though that was, before stepping forward.

"That!" Caitlin says, pointing at the active breach. Joe and Cisco each had his gun aimed at it, ready for whatever was coming through.

"Why did you open a breach?" Barry asks Cisco as he walks down the short staircase to stand between Cisco and Joe.

"I didn't…" Cisco answers. His voice conveyed the worry that was creasing his forehead.

"That's why we called you," Joe says, briefly looking over his shoulder at Barry.

"Can you close it?" Iris asks from beside Caitlin at one of the monitors. Wally was watching the other monitor.

"Yet again…wouldn't have called if I could!" Cisco says in a slightly panicked voice.

I walk down the stairs, peering into the breach. I am see through it but shake my head lightly at the sight; there was so much inside it…no wonder we didn't use breaches. Focusing my sights though, I could see who was coming to our world. "Woah, guys," I walk in front of them a put a hand on Cisco's gun, lowering it. "You won't need those-"

All three of the men behind me look at me like I'm crazy. "What are you-"

"I can see who's coming through the breach," I say. "Actually…" I run up the stairs to the breach, despite the protests from everyone behind me. I reach an arm in easily and grab onto the arm of the person coming through. With a yank, I easily pull him through: Dr. Harrison Wells.

"What in the-?" Harry looks at me confused for a moment before noticing the guns that were trained on him. "Woah," he holds his hands up in innocence. "Allen…"

"Wells," Barry says and everyone lowers their guns and hands.

I look back at the breach to see someone else coming through; no one else could see them though. I take a step towards it…but this person coming through definitely did not need my help. I hear Joe ask Harry what he came for help with as Jesse comes speeding out of the breach. She knocks me over, runs around the room a couple of times before picking me up and setting me on my feet back in front of Barry and everyone else. "Hey guys," she says, looking at everyone before turning to me. "Sorry about that."

"Not a big deal," I say, still shocked over her superspeed. "Shouldn't have been in the way…"


	3. Electricity

The whole group walks into the speed lab, Barry, Harry, and Jessie. I, of course, remembered it because of my ability to retain previous timelines. I hadn't actually been in here though; in this timeline I only knew of its existence because of Caitlin mentioning it once. "This is insane," Barry says, looking around the room in mild awe as he walks to the center of it.

"Something tells me you've never been in here before," Cisco says in a sarcastic tone as he moves to the computer bank on one side of the room.

"Nope," Barry says, still looking around.

"Wait, you nev-" Harry says, looking at Barry confused until he realizes that Cisco meant. The accusatory stare that Harry had perfected settles on his face as his hands come to rest on his hips after pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Allen…what Cisco means is that you traveled back in time again…"

"Yeah," Barry says, turning back to Harry. His hands come up, one running through his hair, trying to give off an air of innocence. "But I-"

"How many times did I tell you not to do that?" Harry says, cutting Barry off. Harry hated Barry time-traveling; I was trying to hide my amusement at the man scolding Barry like a child.

"You figured that out quickly…" Iris murmurs, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, Miss West, that is because neither one of us have been here either," Harry says, looking back at Jesse.

His daughter shakes her head, looking from Harry to Iris. "Nope."

"Different Earths, different timelines," I say. That was something I had learned in my time on the Existence.

"Exactly, Dr. Cambridge—" Wells says, turning to me now. My eyes widen a fraction as he now gives me the accusatory stare "And what I can't figure out is how you managed to pull me out of the breach…"

"Ah, well, remember those migraines I got?" I visibly relax; this I could explain. Wells and Jesse both nod their heads. "Turns out that I'm not from Earth…not an alien though…I'm from this place called the Existence and well, I can walk through the multiverse with ease among other things. The tipping point was when Barry went back to fix the timeline and-"

"When did you do this?" Wells turns back on Barry. My mouth snaps shut has his attention turns back to Barry; clearly he was more upset about the changing timeline. "After we went back to Earth-2?"

"Wha- only a couple things are different…" Barry says, still trying to play innocent. He wasn't wrong...but they were pretty significant things that were different.

"Yeah, I'm sure…" Harry says, staring at Barry deadpan. "Not."

"Oh, so they're doing the 'not' thing on Earth-2 now?" Cisco chimes in. Cisco loved a good joke, but Harry's attempt was just bad.

"Nope," Jesse says quickly. "That is all him-"

"Okay!" Caitlin says, stopping everyone before the conversation got even more out of hand. "How about we get Jesse on the track and run some tests?"

"Let's do it," Jesse says, excitement in her face. She takes her jacket off, dropping it to the ground as she walks over to the entrance to the track. Before taking off, she turns back to us all, giving a smirk. "Watch this…"

Disappearing into the track, her speed letting off a red streak, she takes off running, round and round in the track. "Damn," Joe says as we all watch her. "She really can move…"

"Yeah, she can," Wally says. I look over at him, noting the tone of disappointment in his voice. "I um, I gotta go…" He walks out of the speed lab despite Joe calling after him.

Iris and Joe share a look before Iris lets out a sigh. "I'll go talk to him…" she says, following after her brother. Joe steps over to Barry, who says something to him in a low voice.

Utilizing the opportunity, I decide to try out a power that Ruraura had told me about…

-.-.-

" _You're saying that I can see speedsters?" I say, looking up from the book. "How is that-"_

" _You aren't slowing them down or even speeding up yourself," she says, slowing walking around the table I was sitting at. "Our eyes, however, are capable of moving to match that of a speedsters."_

" _So if Barry were to ever run past me…I could see him?" I ask._

" _Precisely."_

-.-.-

I reach up and place a hand on my Existence necklace. When I do, I feel the energy rush through me. I focus on the track above us, easily focusing on Jesse. I could only see her when she ran right in front of me, but I was able to pinpoint every detail on her. "So cool…" I murmur, letting go of the necklace and letting my eyes return to normal.

"Yeah, she's…pretty fast," I hear Barry say as he comes up behind me. I look up over my shoulder at him and give him a smile. "Hey…" I turn around to face him, noting the seriousness in his voice. "I'm sorry that our date got-"

"It's fine Barry…" I say. I reach up and place a hand on his chest. "Look, I know that I said no Flash or Existence talk but…this is our life. We can't ignore it. I don't know," I let out a sigh, dropping my hand. "I guess I just thought if we went back to what it was like before I knew you were the Flash it would be…easier-"

"How about…" Barry talks a step closer to me, placing a hand on my arm. His voice also drops down to a tenor that sends a shiver down my spine. "We talk about this later…in private?"

My head felt swimmy. "Um," I shake my head couple times, trying to clear it as Barry takes a step back. "Yeah, um, that sounds…I'm gonna go ahead and um, go. Just um, meet me back at, yeah, meet me at my place later." Before Barry could say anything else, I head for the entrance but instead, use my abilities and transport, stepping directly into my living room. I don't think this whole taking it slow thing was going to work…

-.-.-

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I hear Barry say as I look up from pinning on my visitor badge. I'm sure the last place he expected to see me was at CCPD. "I ran by your apartment last night but you were asleep…it ended up taking longer with Jesse than we thought-"

"It's fine," I say with a wave of my hand. "But, um, I'm actually here for a case-"

"A case?" Barry says, arching an eyebrow at me. "What do you mean-"

"After our breakup, in this timeline," I say in a low voice. The room was filled with police...I doubt Barry wanted them to hear talk of changing timelines. "I starting volunteering with the adoption agency. I get called in periodically to sit with foster children or children in the system when they're called in for questioning or anything."

"That's awesome," Barry smiles at me warmly. He knew, as a former foster child myself, I had a soft spot for children in the system. "So I guess you're here for the-"

"Case from last night," I nod my head, holding up the case file. "I better get going…"

"Yeah, don't let me keep you…" Barry says. "I'll, uh, talk to you later?"

I nod my head as I head towards the room where the kid I was sitting with was being held. As I approach the room, Joe is leaving it. "Hey Elizabeth," he says. "You here with-"

"Yeah," I say. This wasn't my first case I had sat with, so Joe was used to seeing me here. "That her?" I nod to the girl with short brown hair and purple streaks. Joe nods his head and I thank him before going in the room. "Frankie?" I say, walking in the room. The girl looks up at me with wide eyes and nods her head timidly. "Hi, I'm Elizabeth. The adoption agency sent me over to sit with you during all of this…"

"Are you a counselor? Or a shrink?" she asks quietly but with an edge to her voice.

"Nope," I shake my head. "I actually work at a museum. But, I've been where you've been, I was a foster child too…so I'm just here to support you, make sure you feel comfortable and safe." Frankie nods her head, muttering a thank you. "Do you mind if I sit next to you?" she shakes her head. When I sit down, I notice her sniffling. I reach into my purse and grab a small package of tissues and hand them to her. "Are you doing okay? Do you need anything right now?"

"No," she says quietly, wiping at her nose with one of the tissues.

"Okay," I nod my head. "Just let me know if you need anything." We sit there for a few more moments in silence, Frankie sipping at her water.

"Hello there," a voice says, entering the room. I look up to see the source of the British accent and balk at seeing Julian Albert standing over both of us. His look turns slightly sour when he sees me. "Hello Dr. Cambridge."

"Julian…" I greet him flatly. I look out the door to see Barry and Joe watching all of us.

Julian shifts his focus from me to Frankie. "Are you doing okay?" he asks her quietly. She nods her head, whispering a quiet 'yeah'. He stares at her for another moment, as if sizing her up. "Can I get you some more water?"

I open my mouth to say something until Frankie nods her head. "Yeah, thanks." She holds the glass up towards Julian who takes it and walks briskly out of the room. I watch him as he walks by Barry and Joe, who both look back towards us for a moment before Barry follows after Julian. I had a bad feeling about whatever he was up to and evidently Barry was on the same line of thought.

* * *

After Joe walks out of the room an hour or so later, finished with his questioning, I turn towards Frankie. "I don't know about you…but I'm starving…" she turns towards me also. "Want to go get some food? Big Belly Burger isn't too far from here."

She nods her head, smiling a little bit. We make our way to the reception desk, filling out the proper paperwork to leave. As we're walking towards the exit, Julian starts yelling from the top of the staircase. "You! Hey, you there! Stop!" Both Frankie and I turn around to see that Julian running at us, pointing at Frankie. I instinctively wrap an arm around her shoulder and she cowers into my side. Everyone around us stops what they're doing to stare at the scene.

I shoot daggers at him as he stalks towards us. "Julian, what the hell is wrong-"

"You did it? Didn't you?" Julian says, talking over me and marching towards us. Barry is behind Julian trying to stop him as well. "The lamppost! You did it, didn't you?"

"What?" Frankie says. I could feel her starting to shake underneath my arm. Her hands fly to her head, fingers digging into her scalp as she tried to cover her ears. "No, no, no, stop!"

"Julian!" I yell back at him as continues to advance towards us. He dutifully ignores me, eye totally focused on Frankie. "You have no right-"

"You're a liar!" he continues to yell at Frankie. Even Joe and Wally had appeared and was telling him to stop. "You're a metahuman-"

"No, no, no," Frankie continues to say, gripping her head tighter and tighter. I try to calm her down but she wasn't listening. She didn't seem to be listening to Julian either.

"You put your foster father in the hospital, didn't you?" Julian continues on, his tone still loud and accusatory.

Frankie turns around sharply, facing away from Julian, knocking my arm off of her. Her hands drop down to her side as she continues to stare at the floor. Julian continues to accuse her of the crime. Suddenly, she lifts her head up slowly. When she does, her eyes glow purple. I gingerly take a step towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "…Frankie?"

"Oh," she says, her voice sounding different. Instinctively, I pull my hand back as I take a step away from her. "I wanted to do more than hurt him." I look back to Barry and Julian, who were now staring cautiously at Frankie. "And now, I'm going to do the same to you." Her hands fly out to her sides and I can feel the electricity in the air crackling. Suddenly, the railing from the staircase starts to come loose, the metal twisting and groaning. I say her name again, but she doesn't listen. Then, the large metal mural on the wall starts to creak and groan. As it starts to come down, I let out a yell, seeing it was going to land right on Julian. Suddenly, a yellow blur flashes through the room, pulling Julian out of the way. Using the distraction, Frankie runs from the room, pushing me down so I wouldn't follow her. The Flash takes off after Frankie as Wally and Joe run over to me.

"You okay?" They ask as they help me stand up. I nod my head as I stare at the mural now on the ground. What had just happened to Frankie?

* * *

Of course, I had to go through a whole slew of questioning with CCPD and with the adoption agency. They mainly wanted to know if Frankie had told me anything…which she hadn't. I had only started making conversation with her as we were leaving, before Julian set her off.

Once I was released from questioning, I make a bee-line for the crime lab. On my way there, I pass by Barry on the staircase. "Elizabeth what are you-" he says as I stalk right past him. "Oh boy, you look mad…"

"Damn right I am," I say. He follows behind me, offering to talk instead of whatever I was planning on doing. "What the hell is wrong with you Julian?" I yell as I enter the crime lab.

"Ah, yes, Dr. Cambridge…wondered when you'd be along," He says, not even looking up from his work.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I say again. I come to a stop in front of his desk and he finally looks up at me. "What made you think it'd be a good idea to yell at-"

"I was thinking that girl tried to kill her father, which she did," he cuts me off. He stands up from his desk, looking me dead in the eye. "If you didn't notice between getting chummy with that meta…she tried to kill me too-"

"Because you provoked her!" I yell at him. Barry tries to say something to calm me down, but I talk over him. "You are not a detective, you are a CSI you have zero-"

"Oh it always goes back to that, doesn't it," he says. My nostrils flare as I know what he's getting ready to bring up. "I'm just a lowly CSI…I have no business doing 'real police' work-"

"Oh God, I was teasing you!" I yell at him. "But it's a good thing I said it so I could see how much of an asshole you really-"

"Sure as bloody hell didn't stop you from-"

"Don't you dare say it Albert," I spit at him, venom in my voice. One of my hands fly up, pointing a finger at him. My other hand clenches as I can feel my defensive powers flickering to life. The last thing Julian needed to see was red sparks coming from my hands. "You say one more syllable and an angry sixteen-year-old meta will be the least of your worries."

Julian smirks at me, leaning forward to rest his fists on his desk. "Is that a threat…Dr. Cambridge?"

I resist the urge to smack him and turn to walk out of the room, passing by Barry who was staring at us both with a confused stare. Once I'm at the door, he catches up with me. "Hey, hey, Elizabeth," he grabs onto the crook of my elbow, pulling me to a stop. I turn back to face him, running a hand through my hair. "What…what was that all about?"

I shake my head. I didn't want to tell Barry what that exchange was all about…not like this, not right now. "I'll tell you about it later. Let me know what happens with Frankie." Without even thinking about it, moving on muscle memory, I go up on my toes and plant a kiss on his cheek. As he's processing the action, I step away from him and transport-step myself into my office at work.


	4. Shirtless

As I'm walking out of the kitchen, a knock on the front door peals out through my apartment. When I open it, Barry is standing there, holding his hands behind his back. I raise an eyebrow at him but don't question it. "Hey," I say, stepping to the side to let him come in. "Come on in…did Frankie get to Keystone okay?"

"Yeah," Barry says as I shut the door. When I turn back around, he's facing me, still hiding his hands behind his back. "The family taking her in seemed really nice…oh, and I gave her your number, you know in case she wanted anyone to talk to. She was really glad to get it."

"Good," I say, nodding my head. "So…" I cross my arms over my chest, starting to walk backwards towards my couch. "So we needed to talk-"

"Ah, first, this is for you," He pulls his hand from behind his back, revealing a single red rose. Walking back towards him, I take it, thanking him. I smile down at It for a moment before lifting it and pressing it to my nose. I loved the smell of roses which Barry knew. "And you're right…what was that whole thing with Julian? Do you two know each other or…"

I let out a groan as I spin around on my sock clad foot and head towards the kitchen. "I'd hoped you'd forgotten about that…" Barry follows behind me, depositing himself on one of the bar stools, listening patiently while I moved around the kitchen, getting a vase for the flower. "And you cannot get mad at me when I tell you what I'm about to tell you because you in this timeline had broken up with me and I was extremely heartbroken. And really it was Caitlin's fault because she thought taking me out drinking would be a good-"

"Oh no, Elizabeth…" Barry says in a groan. "You didn't…"

"No!" I say, sitting the flower down and moving over to Barry. "God, no, I swear I didn't sleep with him!" Barry looks back up from when he had dropped his head. "I just…okay, we met at a bar, I didn't know who he was and we started flirting and then the next thing I remembered was waking up the next morning at his apartment, fully clothed and on the couch by myself. But still…it's bad enough…"

"So you what?" Barry says. He was still giving me a half-disgusted look. "Flirted with him?"

"Well, I mean…we may or may not have made out but-" Barry lets out another groan, throwing his head back. "Barry, that is in the past, we were broken up, I was drunk, and when I realized where I was I left and yesterday was the first time I'd talked to him since."

"That's it?" Barry says, raising an eyebrow at me.

"That is it," I say, smiling at him. A second later, he smiles back at me. "Now, what did you come over for?"

"Well, I was going to ask if you'd want to go get dinner but now I can't get the image of you making out with Julian out of my mind…" I let out a groan as he laughs at me.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?" I say, leaning my waist against the island. Barry shakes his head, still smiling at me though. "I guess I'll have to do something about that, won't I?" Before Barry can say anything, I grab his face between my hands and press my lips to his. In response, Barry stands up, wrapping his arms around my waist. The next second, I feel him run us into the living room, him laying me down on the couch as we continue to kiss. Our hands start to explore each other, the kissing and exploring of hands intensifying. As Barry starts to kiss down my neck, his meta-human alert chimes on his phone. We both let out a sound of despair, the mood obviously killed. "I hate Cisco sometimes…" I whine as Barry pulls his phone out of his pocket.

He looks at it, reading the alert. "There's a-"

"Go," I say, pushing him up as I sit up as well. "Go, take care of the meta…"

"I will be back," Barry says, standing up from the couch. He leans back down for a second to place one more kiss before heading to the door.

Before he runs out, I yell a request to him. "Bring back food when you're done!"

* * *

The next morning, I wake up, feeling my Existence necklace vibrating. I try to sit up, but an arm over my waist holds me down…Barry's arm, circling my waist was holding me down. With minor difficulty I escape up, rousing him as I move across the bed. "Where are you going?" he asks sleepily. "Wha-what time is it?"

"I'm not sure…crap it's seven in the morning," I say, ruing this thing for waking me up.

"Come back to bed then…" Barry says, lazily grabbing at my hips to pull me back into bed.

"I can't Barry…" I say, throwing on whatever shirt I found on the ground. "I…my parents are calling me…"

"Wait, what?" he was more awake now.

"This," I point at the ruby necklace around my neck. "It lets Ruraura and Fadur or even Oion contact me…among the other things which I told you about last night." In between our activities the night before, Barry and I had further discussed my newfound powers. Trying as best as I could, I had told him more about my powers, specifically the defensive ones. Barry had listened patiently while I talked. When I was finished, Barry and I discussed the possibilities of me using them; I was against it, whereas Barry was interested in the idea of me using them for the greater good. I grab a pair of sleep pants out of my dresser and pull them on as I walk to the kitchen.

"So they're calling you…right now?" Barry says, following behind me. "Cool…can I meet them? I mean, only if you're comfortable with it…I don't want to impose myself-"

"It's fine, Barry," I say. I open the freezer and grab the communicator out of it. I had laughed at first when they told me it needed to remain cold but didn't question it. Barry shoots me a look of confusion when he sees the rock. "I will have to ask them though, if they want to meet you. Customs are very different in the Existence…especially when it comes to dating." I lean down and press the stone of my necklace to the communicator. A second later an image of Ruraura and Fadur appears above it, like a floating skype session. "Mother, Father…what a surprise to hear from you…"

"We did not wake you, did we?" Ruraura says, no doubt taking in my disheveled bedhead. "We tried to time it during when you said you were usually awake…"

"I was asleep, but it's alright," I say, smiling at them.

"Regardless, you still look beautiful," Fadur says, smiling at me like a proud father. I still wasn't used to that. "But, I'm afraid this call will not be a pleasant one…"

My eyebrows scrunch together. "Okay, well, um…" My eyes cut to Barry, who was hiding in the corner of the kitchen. "I have a guest here…do I need to ask them to leave or-?"

"Oh, one of your friends?" Ruraura says, smiling. "I'd very much like to meet one of your Earth friends…tell them to come into view." I wave a hand to Barry, beckoning him over. When he comes into view, Ruraura's smile falters the tiniest of bits. "Oh…it's a boy…and he is shirtless…"

"Barry!" I squeal, not even realizing he wasn't wearing a shirt. He speeds out of the room, returning wearing a S.T.A.R. Labs sweatshirt I had…since I was apparently wearing his shirt. "I am so sorry Mother! You see Barry is-"

"He is your 'boyfriend' I believe the term is," Fadur offers up. Me and Barry both stare at them in shock. "Since you came home to us, we've been studying more of Earth's customs during the time that you're residing."

"Oh…well, stay away from the Kardashians," I mutter.

"Yes, we figured out that one quickly," Ruraura says with a grimace. "Anyway, it may be best that Bartholomew is here to hear this…we debated on informing you of this when you were here-"

"But we thought we'd be able to remedy this on our own," Fadur finishes for her.

"Mother, Father, what are you talking about?" I ask, growing more concerned.

"When you were born, naturally as with all heirs, various treaties were formed." Fadur explains. "After you were stolen from us, most of those treaties were either transferred to Oion or were nullified."

"One, however, we have found impossible to cancel." Ruraura says. "One of the first treaties made when the heir is born is that of her partner-"

"Partner?" Barry asks. "You mean like-"

"Her 'husband' as you would call him on Earth," Ruraura answers him. "A treaty was made when Oclene was born for her partner. We've been unable to nullify the treaty though."

"Our request is for you to come back to the Existence," Fadur says.

"I'm not—I'm not marrying anybody," I say. I instinctively grab onto Barry's hand. "I have…I can't-"

"We understand that, daughter," Ruraura says. "We are attempting negotiations even as we speak. But members of the other party are refusing to back down."

"We thought if you came here, you could explain your desire to live on Earth," Fadur says.

"Alright," I say with a sigh. "I will be there, as soon as I can. I have some things to take care of here."

"That is perfectly alright," Ruraura says, giving me a smile before looking at Barry. "It was a pleasure to meet you Bartholomew. Oclene has told us many, many wonderful things about you. I only wish you could have met us on more pleasant circumstances."

"It's, um, it's alright," Barry says. "It was nice meeting you as well."

"Oclene, we shall see you soon," Fadur says. Ruraura gives me a small wave before the connection goes dead.

" _Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh,_ " Immediately I start pacing around the kitchen, full on freaking out. Barry comes up to me, placing his hands on my shoulders, trying to calm me down. "Barry, what am I going to do? I can't marry someone! I mean, I'm with you—at least I assume we're back together, especially after last night. I mean, what-"

"Elizabeth, calm down," he says in a gently voice. "Hey, hey, look at me." He gently takes my chin in his hand, making me look up at him. "In Flashpoint, what did you always tell me?"

"Um…"

"It'll be alright," he leans forward, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "We'll figure it out."

I let out a sigh, stepping forward and laying my head on his chest. His arms come around me, wrapping me in a hug. "I love you Barry Allen."

"I love you too Elizabeth Cambridge," he says. I feel him kiss the top of my head.

"Would it—" I wind my own arms around his waist, hugging myself closer to him. "Would it be too forward to ask you-"

Barry speeds away and is back in less than a second, holding up the engagement ring from Flashpoint. "For this back?" I nod my head. I hold up my right hand to him and he slips the ring on my fourth finger.

I turn my hand around to look at the ring, resting my hand on Barry's chest. "I never got to tell you but, um, in Flashpoint I actually found a dress." Barry's eyebrows raise up as I swallow back a lump in my throat. "Your…Nora, took me to look at them. I wasn't going to even try any on but…"

"Maybe you'll find it again someday," Barry says, his voice quiet. "I'm glad…" he clears his throat, looking down at the ring. "I'm glad you have that memory though. As much as has changed…a small part of me is glad that we got to live that."

"I'm glad too." I say. I let out a sigh as I reach up and connect my lips with Barry's. "Well…time to go meet my future husband…" I let out a groan as Barry chuckles. At least one of us could laugh about the situation…

* * *

As I walk into the Grand House…what they called the house that the First Family lived in…I was unsure of what I was walking into. "Oclene," Ruraura greets me when I enter the Grand Hall of the house. "We're glad you could make it in such a timely manner."

"This is a very important matter to me," I say, walking towards her and the group of people standing around her. I recognized Fadur and Oion, but the other three people with them I did not know.

"Yes," Fadur says. "This is a very important matter. One in which I hope we can resolve peacefully and swiftly." He shoots a look towards the older gentleman I did not recognize. The younger man, probably about my age, just looked uncomfortable.

"Our dear First Daughter," the man I didn't know says, stepping towards me. I raise an eyebrow at him. The man had a lot of nerve. Members of the First Family weren't necessarily royalty (no matter how much Cisco called me Princess after seeing me in the tiara), but there were still customary protocols for talking to members of the First Family. What this man was doing was definitely against the protocols. "I was overjoyed to hear of your return. So was my son-"

"Let me guess," I say, placing my hands on my hips. "Your son is the guy I've been promised to marry?"

"Yes," the man says, still smiling sickly sweet at me. "This is my son, Apzotl," he holds a hand out towards the man that looked my age. Apzotl steps forward, giving me a weak smile. "your future partner."

* * *

- _Barry's POV-_

"Is there a way for her to get in contact with you?" Caitlin asks. I ground the heels of my hand into my eyes. Elizabeth had been gone for two weeks. She had expected to be gone no longer than a day…

"No," I say, leaning back in the chair. "She…she said time works differently there. She was gone ten seconds here but was there for a year…"

"Yeah, and if she went there to meet her new boo then…" Cisco says. I shoot him a look telling him I wasn't amused. "Or you know maybe she's just taking a well deserved—I'm gonna shut up now."

"Thanks," I mutter.

"Barry," I hear Elizabeth's voice say suddenly. I look up towards the middle of the Cortex to see Elizabeth standing there…along with a tall, dark-skinned man I didn't recognize.

I speed over to her, picking her up in a hug. When I sit her back down, I look her over. "I was getting worried about you," I say. She didn't look any different, exactly the same as how she was left. She was even dressed in normal clothes. "You were gone-"

"I know, I know. The negotiations well they…" she says, letting out a sigh. She sees me cut my eyes to the guy standing next to her. He was looking around the room, taking in everything. "Barry, I'd like you to meet my husband…Apzotl. Apzotl, this is my boyfriend…Barry…"


	5. Husband

"Wait, wait," Barry says taking a step back from me. His brow is furrowed, trying to process what I had just said. "Your-"

"We actually don't use the terms 'husband' and 'wife' on the Existence," Apzotl says, a wide smile on his face. I let out a sigh. "Partner is a more appropriate-"

"That is not the point," I say, cutting Apzotl off. "But here, on Earth, 'husband' and 'wife' is the appropriate term for what we did—" Barry's eyes bug out of his head. "No! No! Not what I meant! There was just a ceremony. That is it-"

"Yes," Apzotl says, trying to help. "We left before the consummation ceremony could take-"

"Apzotl, I know you are trying to help, but could you just not…talk…" I say. Apzotl gives me an apologetic smile as he bows his head. I turn back to Barry who was giving me a look that was a cross between anger and confusion. "Okay, yes, I went to the Existence to stop this," I point a finger back and forth between me and Apzotl. "From happening. That's why I was there so long. But Apzotl's father…"

"My father is an asshole," Apzotl chimes in. I hear Cisco stifle a snort of laughter. "I believe that is the term you use here…"

"Yeah, that's the term," I say, smirking myself. While on the Existence I had freely used the term to describe Apzotl's father (in private, of course) and Apzotl had quickly picked up on it, finding it amusing. "Anyway, there wasn't any way that he was going to let this contract up-"

"Me partnering with Ocle-Elizabeth would benefit my family greatly," Apzotl says. I hold back a groan. This was a trait of Apzotl's I had finally gotten used to…he never shut up. He was an endearing, sweet guy…but good god was he talkative. "Plus, the fact that he was threatening to have Elizabeth's family thrown out as First Family…"

"So, we came up with an agreement of our own," I say. Barry crosses his arms over his chest. "Apzotl and I were…joined—or, married, on the Existence."

Barry tilts his head side to side, rubbing at his eyes with one of his hands. "I still don't see how-"

"The compromise was that we marry on the Existence," I say again. "When we're there, we act as 'partners' or whatever. But, the stipulation is that after the ceremony, we be free to return to Earth-"

"And here we conduct ourselves in whatever manner we see fit," Apzotl says.

"Yes," I confirm. "Meaning that here…we are not together."

"Not at all," Apzotl says. "Here we are just…fellow Existencers."

"Right," I say. "Apzotl is actually going to go live in Keystone City."

"Wow," Caitlin says. "You have it all figured out don't you?"

"Yeah," I say look from Barry to her. "I was trying to avoid that look on Barry's face that he has right now…"

"I think he may be allowed that look considering his woman just got married to another dude," Cisco says.

"First off, don't call me his woman…ever again," I say, turning to Cisco. "Second, I am not married to Apzotl here. I am still—Barry, look," I walk over to Barry, who was still staring at me in a disbelieving look. "Yes, I married Apzotl. I did not want to, but I had to in order to protect my family. But look," I hold up my hands, showing him my bare left hand and the ring he had given me on my right hand. "Yours is the only ring I'm wearing." Barry's face starts to soften as he looks from the ring to my face. "I love _you,_ Barry Allen. No one else, no matter what."

Barry lets out a sigh after a moment. "And he's going to live in Keystone City?" I nod my head. "I just…it's going to take some getting used to…"

"That is fair," I say, dropping my hands to my side and grabbing Barry's hands.

"Umm…" Cisco says, bringing the attention in the room back to him. "What does runaway bride mean by 'your ring'? Are you two—"

"We were," I answer, turning back to face everyone else. Barry's hands come to rest on the tops of my shoulders. "In Flashpoint."

"Not now though," Barry says. "The whole 'me breaking up with her' in this timeline kind of put a damper on the whole 'being engaged' thing-"

"Yeah, we don't have to go into that," I say, holding up at hand to cut him off. "Right now, we need to get Apzotl to Keystone."

"Do I have to go so soon?" Apzotl says, giving me an easy smile, holding his hands out. "I'd love to see the great Central City I've been told so much about…oh, and the museum, where you work. Oh! And you promised that you would take me to get coffee-"

"Alright, alright," I say, holding a hand up to cut him off as well. These men were going to be the death of me today. "Caitlin and I will show you around Central City and then you are going to Keystone…got it?"

"Yes, First Daughter," Apzotl says, bowing his head to me. I suppress a groan as he takes a step towards Barry and I. "First though, I have something I would like to say to Mr. Allen-"

"Oh, I really don't think that is necessary." I had a feeling I knew where this was going. Apzotl had mentioned making some sort of pledge or something to Barry…I had hoped he was joking.

"Oh, I think we would all love to hear what he has to say to Barry," Cisco says, a too-excited-grin on his face. I shoot him daggers.

"Mr. Allen," Apzotl says, looking squarely at Barry. Barry, in turn, arches an eyebrow at Apzotl. "I know that you are not fond of the arrangement Elizabeth and I have. However, as her partner, in the Existence, I pledged and am bound to protect her for every day of her life. That pledge extends to every universe, no matter where we are. On this Earth, I will take a step back and leave that responsibility to you. That is my pledge to you, Mr. Allen. I will not come between you and Elizabeth."

I glance back at Barry, who blinks a couple of times before clearing his throat. Barry steps beside me, reaching a hand out towards Apzotl. "I appreciate that. Thank you."

Apzotl smiles briefly before staring awkwardly at Barry's hand. "Oh! Right…you shake each other's hands here." I suppress a giggle as Apzotl grabs Barry's hand and shakes it with too much vigor. "Elizabeth had warned me about that."

"Yeah, um…" Barry pulls his hand away finally, a half smile on his face. "It's all good."

* * *

"I know I am an ultra-lover of museums but Apzotl walked around the museum five…times…" I say with a groan as I plop down on the couch, throwing my legs over Barry's lap. I lay my head back against the pillows as Barry removes my heels, starting to rub at my feet. "I mean, the guy is just so…"

The words to describe Apzotl fail me but Barry supplies one. "Exuberant?" I nod my head, reveling in the feel of Barry's fingers working up and down my foot. "Yeah, that is one word to describe him…"

I pick my head up and look at Barry. He had that crinkle between his eyes when he got upset. "Talk to me Barry," I say. I move my legs off of his lap and sit up. "I know Apzotl made that pledge…or whatever that was. But I know you…"

"I don't know Elizabeth," Barry says, running a hand over his hair. "This is all just a lot to take in."

"I know," I say, nodding my head. I clear my throat, twisting my ring around my finger. "Do you…um…do you want space? Or—"

"No, not at all," Barry says. Faster than I could react, he grabs my legs, pulling them over his lap again and pulling me closer to him. Barry's face was barely an inch away from mine. "If anything I want to keep you closer." I smile as we both lean in closer, closing the distance between our lips. My arms wind around Barry's neck, pulling myself even closer to him. Barry wraps his arms around my waist, holding me tight against him. After a few blissful moments, Barry releases me, pulling back slightly. "Look, I have an idea…while you were gone, I actually moved out of Joe's—"

" _What?"_ I unintentionally shriek. "Where have you been staying? Did you get in a fight with him or something? Don't tell me you've been staying at-"

Barry silences me by pressing his lips to mine again. "I've been crashing on Cisco's couch." He says once he pulls away again. "But that is only temporary. I was thinking…that once you got back…you and I could look for a place together?"

I arch an eyebrow at Barry as he stares at me with a nervous expression. "Barry Allen…are you asking me to move in with you?" Barry nods his head as I reach up, cupping the side of his face in my hand. I stare at him a moment longer, letting him stew a bit. "I would love to!" A wide grin breaks across his face before he pulls close again, this time just holding me. "And just so you know…you're not staying on Cisco's couch anymore."

* * *

"So what does the magic ruby necklace do, exactly?" H.R., who I absolutely adored despite the fact he had lied to the team, asks me.

"It serves many purposes," I say. Cisco had turned to look at me as well, interested in what my Existence necklace did. "My family on the Existence can contact me through it; my powers, a which I know how to use, come through it; I can switch between my Existence clothes and my clothes here; and probably the most important thing is that it keeps me balanced."

"Balanced?" Cisco says, his eyebrows furrowing together in confusion.

"Keeps me from going _poof_ when Barry decides to mess with the timeline again," I explain.

" _Heard that,"_ Barry's voice says over the comms unit.

"Sorry sweetheart," I call out. Cisco mashes his lips together in an attempt to keep from laughing. "Anyway, basically I can't go without this necklace or else I'll die."

"Wow," Cisco comments. "That seems a little extreme."

"Yeah, well…that's what happens when you decide to live on a planet that you're not technically supposed to." I say with a shrug.

"So does Apzotl have one?" H.R. asks.

I shake my head. "He has a ring, I think."

Barry comes running into the Cortex before H.R. can ask another question. "Bad guys taken care of, three more residents of Iron Heights." He says, walking away from his now mounted suit. "Oh and hey," he says, looking at me. "I saw this apartment you might like."

"If it was anywhere near these 'bad guys' that is going to be a hard no from me." I say, standing up. "I need to get going anyway."

"I thought we were doing lunch?" Barry says as I start to walk past him.

"I got a call from the university," I say, standing in the entrance to the Cortex. "One of the history professors had to take an unexpected sabbatical, so they've asked me to fill in. The best part is I'm pretty sure Wally is in one of the classes I'm teaching."

"Bet he'll love that," Barry says with a smirk, walking up to me. "Alright, well, I guess I'll just head over to CCPD."

"I'll text you when I'm headed home." Barry leans down a little and plants quick kiss on my lips. I tell Cisco and H.R. goodbye before turning and walking out of the Cortex, using my powers and instantly stepping foot onto campus.


End file.
